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Post by kunuma on Jun 4, 2010 15:41:07 GMT 1
;D OK, just wondered if anyone else had cats who have gone off cat food! First my feral, and then the other, have stopped eating ALL the types of pouches - I thought they were ill, but the feral is happily eating tinned sardines etc now, and the other one will eat dry food - now three other cats I know have stopped eating those pouches too - do they know something we don't?? Is anyone else's cat off cat food at the mo??
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Post by Deleted on Jun 4, 2010 18:09:33 GMT 1
Now it's funny you should mention this Kunuma as the RDA cats haven't been eating their tinned food very much, so we've been told to feed only very small amounts of that and give them dried food ad lib. They do catch a lot of mice, which is their job, so maybe ours are full up! ;D
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Post by Claire on Jun 4, 2010 19:52:30 GMT 1
In my many years of cat owning experience, they do tend to go off food at times. What has worked with mine when they are going thru one of these phases is hardly giving them anything at all for a couple of days, just a very little dried food, and after that they always seemed to go back to eating OK. I'm not sure if it is a psychological thing or physical, maybe a stomach upset that clears up after not eating much for a couple of days but whatever the reason it seems to work. I take it you do alternate with different brands of pouch cos they can get bored. I find that the Gourmet Pearl pouches are the most irresistable to most cats. Unfortunately usually the most expensive!
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Post by garej on Jun 4, 2010 20:01:05 GMT 1
Unless there is a good reason (for example wont eat it, or has teeth/gum problems) you are better off just feeding dried food. Not to mention that wet (meat) food will attract flies whereas dried food does not. Most dried foods are nutritionally balanced (marked as "complete") so will be fine for them.
If anyone is in the UK and is feeding feral cats, speak to your local branch of your Cats Protection. Most branches will donate feral food (you will need to arrange someone - if not yourself - if for example you are feeding ferals on a RDA riding centre to collect it though on a regular basis) to those that need it, and if you are having trouble with excess population will very often arrange neutering vouchers. (Sadly because very few people want feral cats they cannot rehome them.) If you have an adoption centre nearby then phone them/call in. If you have only a volunteer run branch (aka no adoption centre) then be aware that you are unlikely to be offered any. This is because they get fewer donations (of feral food) overall and also it is highly likely that will be using it themselves. But if you are having a problem and want to neuter a feral still call them as headquarters pay for that, even though they do the paperwork.
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Post by Claire on Jun 4, 2010 20:53:14 GMT 1
It may be nutritionally correct but personally I think cats prefer the wet to the dry cat food every time! If I am going to be out all day I just put out dried cos it is more hygienic but normally I mix a bit in with their pouches. I find that with cats who have a tendancy to bolt their food and then vomit it straight back up it works wonders as it slows them down. And it helps their teeth too. Another thing I have heard of for cats going thru a finicky phase is to make it more challenging for them to find/get to their food by putting it in different places each day, or up on tables, cat posts etc, to make it harder to find. This is supposed to stimulate a hunting/foraging instinct. Mind you if the cat is just plain thick or lazy you could end up with uneaten plates of cat food all over the house! ;D Yup this would work better with dried
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Post by kunuma on Jun 5, 2010 11:56:38 GMT 1
Today she wouldn't eat fish or chicken, yet she is still seemingly hungry and asking for food - I'm getting a bit worried now, she is not a young cat, and has had a traumatic life, I did want her to have a happy old age so I really hope that this isn't the start of something bad.
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Post by Claire on Jun 5, 2010 12:14:00 GMT 1
If she seems otherwise lively it is unlikely she has a stomach upset. She could have a problem with her teeth perhaps, maybe an absess. They do go thru odd phases so try not to worry yet, but if she doesnt start eating in a couple of days I would get the vet to have a look at her mouth, unless you want to bravely have a dekko inside yourself! Have you got anything soft like cream cheese or you could try scrambled egg, or maybe just the gravy stuff from the pouches. If she can eat something soft/runny it would tend to point to her teeth being the problem. It usually is their teeth when they seem hungry but dont eat.
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Post by Deleted on Jun 5, 2010 17:23:51 GMT 1
fingers crossed she starts eating soon Kunuma.
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Post by cally on Jun 20, 2010 10:54:04 GMT 1
I read a study about alley cats in the US and they discovered that cats will choose the 'rarer' food 1st over the more abundant food forms. They put out lots of fish and very small amounts of red meat for a few days and the red meat was always eaten 1st. When they reversed the amounts, the cats then ate the fish (the rarer food) before the red meat.
Conclusion: cats are an enigma. Also, they play games with their indulgent owners and will eat anything within reason if they are hungry. They may be hunting mice & birds now that it's warmer over there, or- and this has happened to me- they have another sucker feeding them as well as you!
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Post by Claire on Jun 20, 2010 19:13:38 GMT 1
Conclusion: cats are an enigma. Hmm perhaps not the word I would use ;D ;D ;D Thats an interesting study cally it just goes to show that cats are instinctively difficult! Something I have always suspected. My cat has been acting very strangely lately. She is an ex-feral and altho now old is still very nervous. She was OK when I went out the other day but when I came back home she was acting terrified. When I tried to get her to go outside for some fresh air she ran in the house and hid under the bed in the spare room. I finally got her out of there and put her in my bedroom where she refused to come out for the rest of the day and night. She mainly slept but fitfully, she kept waking up and looking about her in terror and wouldnt eat, drink or use her litter tray. She has gradually improved and is now eating and acting more normally but still wont go out and is only leaving my bedroom for her tray. She still seems scared. I'm really puzzled as to what happened. She seems to have no injuries or anything like that. Its as if something really terrifying happened to her when I was out and she was in shock.
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Post by cally on Jun 21, 2010 2:06:14 GMT 1
It could be something as simple as someone coming to the door- that sets my dog (and her odious bowels) off. Maybe the meter reader came or something? Once I had a cat who fell asleep with her head too close to the radiator and when she woke up, she acted strangely for almost 24 hours; she had auditory hallucinations and was terrified generally. She stayed under a chair, wide awake, for over 12 hours and the vet said she probably had 'cooked' part of her brain as it occasionally recurred.
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Post by Claire on Jun 21, 2010 23:15:43 GMT 1
the vet said she probably had 'cooked' part of her brain as it occasionally recurred. OMG that is freaky! Poor cat. Reminds me of my friends cat which calmly sat next to a heater enjoying the warmth on its backside whilst its tail singed and smoke began to pour off it! They are certainly odd creatures.
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Post by cally on Jun 23, 2010 11:25:26 GMT 1
I'm a vegetarian and hate the idea of killing one animal to feed another and cats cannot do without meat but I cannot live without cats- they have such awesome personalities and they get under your skin in a way that dogs can't- or at least don't with me. Every cat I've had has somehow become a soulmate even though they have all been so different from each other. (I do love dogs as well- don't have a go at me dog people! I want a terrier to go with my 9 year old great dane/stag hound/ridgeback/mastiff cross!)
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Post by Claire on Jun 24, 2010 11:40:49 GMT 1
Cally I totally agree, altho I love dogs, cats just have that extra something, a sort of eccentricity - which appeals to fellow eccentrics like me! ;D
Rosie seems to be getting over her ordeal. She went outside again for the first time a couple of days ago. But what has really given her confidence a boost was seeing off one of the neighbouring cats which appeared in the garden last night. After chasing it away she spent the rest of the evening strutting about on patrol all over the house, acting like the big I-am ;D
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Post by kunuma on Jun 24, 2010 11:50:45 GMT 1
. my 9 year old great dane/stag hound/ridgeback/mastiff cross!) Crumbs!! Picture pleeeeeaaaase!! Glad Rosie is feeling more herself now - they are weird things cats! Have to say though, that the relief of having mine indoors, and unable to kill the wildlife, or get themselves killed on the road is enormous - I hadn't realised how much I worried, so much easier with the dogs too. Wonder if Rosie was spooked by another cat and now feels she has reasserted herself??
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Post by Claire on Jun 24, 2010 14:31:07 GMT 1
I doubt Rosie had been frightened by another cat as, tho she is a nervous wuss in all other areas of lfe, she is mega-aggressive where other cats are concerned. Hmm wonder if it could have been the TV licence people as just received another nasty letter from them and have heard they practically break the door down trying to get in.
Yep it must be said its less stressful to have house cats than those who roam. What gets me is the number of people who let their cats out at night with no collars on. Most cats are killed at night as cars cannot see them. Mine have always been tucked up in bed with me on a night (except when they have gone awol!)
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Post by garej on Jun 25, 2010 19:22:23 GMT 1
Yep it must be said its less stressful to have house cats than those who roam. What gets me is the number of people who let their cats out at night with no collars on. Most cats are killed at night as cars cannot see them. Mine have always been tucked up in bed with me on a night (except when they have gone awol!) The Cats Protection actually did some research and it found that the majority of cats who get knocked over/killed on our roads were at night. Anyone who adopts an (outdoors going) cat from the Cat Protection will be told about this. Cats are only adopted out on the proviso that the new owner will keep them in at night. Some cats do not like collars at all, even when properly fitted. I tried a couple of times to get Tigger to wear one (because mine dont go out, then if they do escape and I cant catch her, then a) they know she belongs to someone and b) because she has a disc saying "scan me" then they know how to find her owner), but the naughty girl wont keep it on for more than 5 mins! I was forever finding in on the bedroom floor never knowing how it got there until I caught her one day! What she does, is that she gets on the bed, rubs herself against it (it's a metal frame with swirly bits) multiple times until her collar gets stuck on it. Then she tugs a little, and of course, it being a quick-release collar, it comes apart on the floor, and she is free. If anyone does have a cat, and wants them to wear a collar, please, please do fit a quick release one. I have seen a couple of nasty injuries because either the collar was too tight, or it was a non quick-release one and the poor old cat has got stuck, with no way of escape. It has been known for cats to hang themselves (and therefore prove fatal) because their collars have got stuck. This all could be so easily prevented if people just buy quick-release ones, which are easy to get these days.
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Post by Claire on Jun 30, 2010 9:33:53 GMT 1
I didnt realise they still sold collars that weren't quick release now! I must admit Oscar used to manage to get out of his collar quite a lot. He hated them. There were a few strewn round the neighbourhood!
Poor Rosie is still having problems. She seems to have lost her confidence again. She wants to go out but as soon as she gets out there she has a panic attack and runs back in. Not sure whether to take her to vet or not as she is so terrified by going to the vet it might make things even worse. My dad is visiting today and bringing some sort of herbal de-stress stuff that one of his friends has used on a nervous cat. Not sure exactly what it is yet.
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Post by kunuma on Jun 30, 2010 15:30:57 GMT 1
People swear by rescue remedy, mind you i swore too when I discovered after I had taken it that it was mostly brandy and it gave me a migraine!! I can send you the bottle! There are also those pheromone (can't spell it) diffusers. Or you could get her a friend, perhaps she is lonely?
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Post by Claire on Jun 30, 2010 20:12:40 GMT 1
I tried those pheromone things before when she was having a spraying bout and they had zilch effect then. This stuff I got today is I think the same as the flower rescue remedy altho its called Emergency flower essence. But looking at the ingredients there are a load of flowers plus 27% alcohol so its probs the same. I feel like swigging it myself ;D
EDIT - just had a niff of it - certainly smells like brandy to me ;D
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Post by cally on Jun 30, 2010 22:42:47 GMT 1
Collars can get badly stuck- especially in their teeth. My Mum's cat lost a few teeth to that happening & wouldn't use one after that. We don't have scanning collars- just discs with contact details. All cats here by law have to be microchipped which is a brilliant idea. My horse is m/chipped too! Finn loves the outdoors but it's in at dusk and out after dawn- more to stop fighting and killing native animals. Still, he buggered his tail coming in the door the twit...
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Post by garej on Jul 2, 2010 17:57:30 GMT 1
People swear by rescue remedy, mind you i swore too when I discovered after I had taken it that it was mostly brandy and it gave me a migraine!! I can send you the bottle! There are also those pheromone (can't spell it) diffusers. Or you could get her a friend, perhaps she is lonely? Rescue Remedy is good, we (at the Cats Protection) use it for all admissions, and those that are nervous/stressed. You can find it at Holland & Barratt and also Boots, plus independent health food shops. The pheromone difusers are called Feliway (you can also get it in a spray bottle format), again we use them at the Cats Protection. I use both at firework time, one of my cats gets mega stressed with them about, whereas the other one does not. I usually start a about a month before, so that they get used to the stuff. Last year was the first time I used (the year before I did not bother as I did not know what both cats were like with fireworks) it and it made a lot of difference. This year I will be repeating the same. I also used the Rescue Remedy when they go into the cattery at Christmas, as it helps them settle in quicker! You can get specific Bach Remedy's for various problems, however you would need guidance from an animal aromatherapist as they know what flower essences you need for your particular problem (each flower essence has a different action on the body). However if you are going to be giving the general Rescue Remedy, there is no need to consult one. Also remember you need the liquid and not the spray when using the Rescue Remedy. This stuff I got today is I think the same as the flower rescue remedy altho its called Emergency flower essence. But looking at the ingredients there are a load of flowers plus 27% alcohol so its probs the same. I feel like swigging it myself ;D Emergency Flower Essence and Bach Rescue Remedy are not the same. I would be very wary to try this on the cat unless you have consulted either with a vet or an animal aromatherapist in case it does some harm. Chance are it will be ok, but it's better to be safe than sorry. This is the stuff I mean when I say Rescue Remedy (and there is a picture of the product). www.boots.com/en/Rescue-Remedy-Dropper-20ml_2217/There are other stuff (e.g. zylkene) which do help with stress/nerves in animals, but I would strongly advise that you discuss this with your vet first before purchasing them (either at a vet or online), and if necessary a pet behavioural therapist.
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Post by garej on Jul 2, 2010 18:44:25 GMT 1
I didnt realise they still sold collars that weren't quick release now! I must admit Oscar used to manage to get out of his collar quite a lot. He hated them. There were a few strewn round the neighbourhood! Unfortunately flea collars are still quite common (and to be honest they do nothing, for the effect they have you might as well chuck washing up water on them), and although you can get various types, they are always not quick-release. To be honest, I had trouble getting hold of them - I always had to go to Pets at Home. Tesco do not stock any at all. We get a few donated collars throughout the year and (even if they are brand new) we always chop them in half, and bin them. I had a lovely collar with a bowl that I bought for Tigger and it's in the cupboard because it is not even elasticated. Elasticated are no better in reality than non-quick release collars. CAll cats here by law have to be microchipped which is a brilliant idea. My horse is m/chipped too! In the UK, the law stands that only veterinary trained people (i.e. vets, vet nurses and veterinary nursing assistants) are allowed to legally implant a microchip. Non Veterinary trained people can chip, but provided they have been properly trained by someone who is allowed to train others and possess a certificate by microchip company (e.g. tracer). If you have not been trained and you are not a veterinary trained person, then it is an offence to implant a chip, even if you have done it correctly. Larger charities dealing with smaller animals usually have no problem: usually it is done by a vet at the same time as a vaccination (either first or second) if no suitably trained person is available. In the Cats Protection, it is a minimum standard: all cats come with a microchip when they leave their care. Smaller independent rescues are hit and miss: in reality it comes down to two things 1) if they have to go to a vet every single time or do it themselves and 2) the cost of the fee. If you have to rely on a vet some vets charge for microchipping, some offer a discount (usually only charge the cost of a registration fee not the charge of implanting it in the first place plus the cost of registering it) and some do it for free. In reality it depends on the vet and their generosity. That is why if you go and do it privately (e.g. not got the cat from the rescue centre who do it on your behalf) the costs vary anywhere from £10-30. Like I said, the fee is dependent on the a) the cost of the vet putting it themselves and also b) the fee that the microchip company charge the vet to register the chip in the first place. There are at least two microchip companies in the UK (I know of idENTICHIP and Tracer), and they do not charge the same price: although in reality it does not matter which company your vet uses, as they both can be read by an universal scanner.
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Post by garej on Jul 2, 2010 22:07:03 GMT 1
Also I would strongly recommend that if you have not done so, I would get it microchipped, even if you own a housecat. There is no minimum or maximum age for a microchip: though most vets & charities usually chip kittens at first vaccination (usually 8 weeks, though kittens can have the enteritis only jab at 6 weeks). The only time they would not microchip a kitten at 8 weeks if there is a medical reason (for example suffering from ringworm or flu). Here is the reasons why:-
*Firstly if your cat does get lost, then it can be quickly returned to you. Legally, a charity must hold a cat for 7 days in case the owner turns up (though nearly all charities hold them for 14 days: it's only the RSPCA that do not). With a microchip this extends to 28 days.
*Secondly, if there is ever a dispute about ownership, then the microchip will prove whoever is the legal owner of the cat. If a charity cannot trace the owner of a microchipped stray, then legally they must prove that they have done so. Once that is done, then legally they can rehome it.
*Thirdly, your data is safe. Although you do have to complete a form which says your name, address and phone number, it is not easy to get hold of your details. The average person does not carry a scanner about themselves (the police, registered charities, vets and the dog warden have them), and even if they did, then if they did scan your cat, all the scanner would show is a load of numbers. Then they would have to make a note of the number, phone an animal database (or check online). To get hold of your data, then they would need the correct username and password. If any of those are found to be incorrect, then they would not get your data. (Sounds weird, but I knew a case of someone who refused to chip their cat "because everyone would find out my name and address") Also the people who would have access would also have to adhere to the data protection act, which in turn has it's own implications.
*Fourthly, on a more morbid note, if your cat is found dead, then it is more likely to be returned to you. Most councils (but not all) keep a note of dead animals found, and some councils scan all pets for microchip. If a microchip is found, then they can get in touch with you, and make arrangements with you what to do next. Not only does it give you peace of mind if your pet is lost, but you can make arrangements of your own (for example if you want to do a individual cremation or burial). Otherwise, it's just simply treated as waste, and casually disposed of (depending on the council's policies it is either incinerated or buried in landfill).
Fifthly, the risk of long term pain is zero. The cat will probably feel the needle in, and in most cases, react, but it is reacting to the same amount of pain as a vaccination. Unlike collars, once it is there, it is there for life. It cannot be excreted in faeces or lost. The cat will not be able to feel it, and will be in no more pain than a non microchipped cat. Additionally, some microchips can also act as temperature sensors, meaning that a vet will be able to tell the temperature if need be by scanning it. This in turn means that the cat (should it need it's temperature taking) does not have to go through the discomfort with "traditional" temperature taking methods.
Lastly, it means that you can buy a cat flap that reads microchips. This in turn has advantages over other cat flaps, namely if your cat loses it's magnetic "key" then it can still get in (it also means this type of cat flap can be used with cats that wont wear collars). Also because you have to program it, then you can (for whatever reason) keep one cat in but still allow free access in or out for your other cats. Thirdly, it can keep out neighbourhood bullies/strays - handy if you have a problem with those in your area.
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Post by Claire on Jul 4, 2010 21:51:48 GMT 1
Thanks for the info garej. I have checked the label and the stuff I have got has almost the same ingredients as the Bach stuff. Anyway have been giving it to the cat for the last few days and she does seem calmer, but she is still too nervous to go outside
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